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What is Pentecost?

What is Pentecost?

People often times ask the question, “What is Pentecost?”. Although this is a broad question and could solicit many different answers from different people, I will seek in the following article to help you to understand Pentecost from the perspective of the Bible and what it means to the New Testament believer. We will begin our journey of understanding in a place far away and long ago in the early hours of a Jerusalem morning. So let’s begin.

The Day of Pentecost

It was the birthing of something so powerful that it would forever change the story of human history and dramatically alter the lives of many of those who would fill its pages. It was The Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. The birth of the Church age. And of that day in Acts chapter 2 it says this,

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.1

There is no doubt that in this singular moment the world was magnificently changed forever as the Church was birthed, but the beginnings of this story were actually many years prior as a people stood and beheld with fearful wonder the spectacle before them. Allow me for a moment to tell you the story of the Day of Pentecost.

The Genesis of Pentecost

It all began at the foot of a mountain covered in dark clouds and rolling, echoing thunder. Lightning ripped across the sky, its fingers of explosive current striking and destroying the rocks of the mountain before them. The Earth beneath the people’s feet rumbled with a dreadful rhythm.

And then a great fire fell from the heavens above upon the mountain below. As the fire ravenously enveloped the landscape before them, it forcefully and suddenly changed directions to ascend upwards as if from deep within the mountain a furnace burned with a scorching heat.

So awesome was this supernatural demonstration of God’s power, that the people who followed this one named Moses into the wilderness, trembled in fear and apprehension. Who was this great I AM that had called them from the bondage of Egypt through signs and wonders so that they could now behold this fierce and overwhelming display of God’s power and majesty?

Blessings and Curses

This was the beginning of the giving of what would become known to the people as the Mosaic Law. It was a compilation of over 600 specific commandments that would become a covenant between God and His people as He brought them into the Promised Land.

To say the least, it was not an easy covenant to follow. God demanded that His people be different than the nations about them. If one failed to keep these laws, there was a curse brought upon them through God’s judgments. Likewise in the keeping of that law, there was also a great blessing. Consider what Joshua said concerning this law when the Israelites entered the Promised Land.

34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings, and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, …2

The Mosaic Law is Born

What a remarkable experience that must have been. The birthing of a people as a nation of believers that would follow the one true God. So important would this day become to the nation of Israel, that in the years to come the Jewish people would come to recognize the Feast of Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks in the Hebrew language, as not just a celebration of the ingathering of the wheat harvest as commanded by God, but also a celebration of the giving of God’s Law upon Mount Sinai.

The religious leaders of Israel, over the course of time, had carefully calculated that the giving of the Law of Moses would have most likely happened on the Feast of Weeks. This was 50 days after they were delivered from Egyptian bondage.

This Feast of Weeks would later come to be known as the Feast of Pentecost in the Greek language, which means 50. The Feast of Pentecost was to be held exactly 50 days after the Feast of Beginning First Fruits when a barley offering was brought before the Lord during the barley harvest.

So beginning on the day after the Passover (or the Feast of Beginning FirstFruits), the Jewish people would count 50 days or 7 Sabbaths plus 1 day. On that 50th day, they would celebrate the Feast of Weeks, or as we call it today, Pentecost.

At this second harvest feast time, they would now give thanks for the harvest of wheat instead of barley. This feast in time also more importantly became a feast celebrating the giving of the Law of Moses at Mount Sinai for the Jewish people. You can read more about this in Leviticus 23.

A Sword of Judgement

So now that we have discussed why some of these feasts were celebrated, I want to take you back to a very important story that happened during the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. This will help us to better understand the significance of God birthing the church on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

Let’s take another look at the book of Exodus as Moses and Joshua to come down from the mountain to deliver God’s commandments to the people. In Exodus 32 it says:

16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”
18 But he said:
“It is not the noise of the shout of victory,
Nor the noise of the cry of defeat,
But the sound of singing I hear.”
19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”3

Idolatry

Absolutely dumbfounding. God’s people as they wait for Moses to come down from the mountain to share the word of God with them, become frustrated with the wait. They decide to have Aaron make a golden calf for them so that they can worship this false god. Moses is furious at their wicked display and breaks the tablets of stone upon the ground. And this is where something very peculiar happens.
Moses commands those who are on the Lord’s side to come to him and execute a very harsh punishment at the direction of God. It says beginning in Exodus 32:26:

Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.4
The Law of Moses came with harsh punishments for violating the covenant. This is something hard to understand as we look back on these stories from the perspective of God’s grace. But the reality is that sin has always according to God’s law lead to death. As the Apostle Paul spoke about the Law of Moses in his letter to the Church of Galatia, he described the law as a tutor or a schoolmaster. The Law helped people remain safe in their relationship with God until righteousness could be fulfilled in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. He put it this way:
23 But before faith came (the message of Jesus Christ), we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.5

Last Day of School

Think of the work of Christ in comparison to the Law of Moses like a graduation ceremony. When you graduate high school or college, you throw your hat in the air. This is a celebration of newfound liberty and an exciting future. You now head away from a place of rules, requirements, and instructors that were put in place to help you mature in your understanding of what’s necessary for success.

In a similar fashion, Jesus Christ worked within the whole of humanity and matured us from a law of death under the old covenant into a law of life and liberty in the New Testament Covenant.

A Law of Death

But let’s step back to the mountain for a moment. At the base of Mount Sinai, as the Israelites received the law on tablets of stone, a great judgment was brought upon them because they worshipped the Golden Calf. The Law very harshly exposed sin and demanded consequences for it. As the sons of Levi (this was the tribe set aside for the work of the tabernacle and the offering of sacrifices for the people) gathered that day they executed the law and its requirement. That requirement was death.

You might be saying to yourself right now, hold on, where is the hope and promise in this morbid message of the giving of the Mosaic Law. Well, let’s look at how God in the course of time fulfilled His message of a promise of grace and salvation for His people. In essence, how he graduated his people from a law of death to a law of life.

When the Day of Pentecost had Fully Come…

As we jump ahead in time to the outpouring of His Spirit on the Day of Pentecost we will discover how this Old Testament story of 3,000 men falling by the swords of the Levitical priesthood (their very own brothers) finds a new and eternal revelation of hope and salvation.

We saw in our earlier reading of the Book of Acts chapter 2 that the 120 were filled with the Holy Ghost in an upper room. They had been waiting in Jerusalem in obedience to the command Jesus gave them when He told them before His ascension, to wait until they were endued with power from on high or from heaven. You can read more about this in Luke 24:49.

For ten days they waited (much like those at the base of the Mount Sinai). But the scripture says that when the Day of Pentecost had fully come they were supernaturally filled with God’s Spirit.

In similar fashion to the Mountain of God, at this first infilling, there was a powerful witness and proof of this New Covenant. To begin with they heard the sound of a rushing mighty wind that filled the room where they were sitting. They also saw what appeared to be divided tongues that resembled fire and sat upon each of them. And finally, in this inception of God’s Spirit, they began to speak in other languages or tongues as the Spirit of God gave them the ability.

The Lamb of God

What a spectacular experience that must have been. Here they were celebrating the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. Remember, this was 50 days after the Passover (Jesus was crucified the evening before the Passover began). This Feast of Passover was a celebration of the deliverance of God from Egyptian bondage by the applying of the blood of a spotless lamb upon the doorposts of their homes while they were in Egypt.

That night God preserved His people and set them free. The parallels to the death of Jesus upon the cross at the beginning of the Passover are clear and profound. Jesus is that perfect lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

As we jump ahead 50 days to the Feast of Pentecost, We find that in a singular moment these New Covenant believers who had placed their faith in Jesus Christ are miraculously filled with the presence of God. A new law of grace and mercy is revealed to the world. It is no coincidence that God chose this day to birth the church and signify a new covenant with His people.

Stay with me here. All of these stories and feasts of the Old Testament are about to come together like the missing pieces of a puzzle and reveal with amazing accuracy the prophetic power of God’s word.

The Sword of the Spirit

Remember those 3,000 that fell by the sword as the Levites went out and slew their brothers under a law from God that demanded death for sin. How does this relate to the Day of Pentecost? Well, in our New Covenant story, we find a large number of people gathered around those freshly baptized believers on the Day of Pentecost. They looked on with confusion wondering what was happening.

These Jewish proselytes were gathered from all over the world that day to celebrate the giving of the Law of Moses at the mountain and yet they hear these Galileans speaking and praising God in their own languages. What is going on? How can this be? Are these people drunk at this early hour of the morning?

The Apostle Peter stands up and for many verses preaches to them Jesus Christ, His fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures, and His Death Burial and Resurrection. He anxiously described what all of this really meant as our Lord became the sacrifice for our sins.

Many in the crowd felt the convicting power of God’s presence in that place and cried out to Peter, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”6 To this question, Peter gives a simple and clear message of salvation:

A Message of Salvation

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”7

The response to this message that wondrous day was epic:
And that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.8

Mt. Sinai versus The Upper Room of Pentecost

Wow, what a difference from the experience of Mount Sinai. We now have 3,000 jubilant and excited converts added to a community of fellowship with their newfound brothers and sisters in Christ. They are ministering to one another, blessing one another, and witnessing the signs and wonders of the New Covenant believers.

In the Old Testament, the sword of judgment brought death to 3,000 men through the law because of sin. But in the New Testament, we find a witness of life and hope and brotherly love.

Commandments no longer written on stones but instead a law of love and mercy written upon the hearts of humankind. Not the harrowing sounds of a dark, quaking, and thundering mountain, where one did not approach or touch the mountain because they would be struck dead. But instead a place of mercy and a direct invitation into the very presence of the Almighty God. A place where forgiveness is freely given and where we need not be afraid to boldly approach the throne of grace. The writer of Hebrews put it this way:

6 But now He (meaning Jesus as our High Priest in heaven) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.9

Pentecost is the celebration of a new and better covenant established in the grace of God.

Barley versus Wheat

This point is further illustrated in the two different feasts of harvest that we discussed earlier. In the Feast of Beginning fruits on the day after the Passover, a grain offering was to be presented to the Lord. This would have been a Barley offering as this was the crop that first came in and was the first harvest. Barley was the first harvest and was considered an inferior crop to wheat. It was often used as a mere staple food and to feed the livestock.

But during the second harvest, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost that followed 50 days later, a grain offering of wheat was presented as this was the time to harvest the wheat.10 Wheat was considered of much greater value and superior in taste to barley.

Once again we see a powerful type and shadow in the scriptures of the work of Jesus Christ and its superiority to the law. There are many other parallels that we could draw from the pages of scripture today but time does not permit it. But as we consider the meaning of Pentecost let us revel in the magnificent tapestry of revelation that the Word of God offers to us as we open our lives to the experience of the outpouring of His Spirit.

Thank God for Calvary. Thank God for the Day of Pentecost and the birth of the New Testament Church. And thank God that it is still happening today as we lift our hands to God, repent of our sins, bury ourselves in water baptism in His name and receive the marvelous and wonderful gift of God’s Spirit. Consider what Paul said when he commended the church to put on the whole armor of God.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.11
Wielding the Sword of God’s Spirit

Consider this. As a child of God, you have the sword of His Spirit in your hands. Not a sword to cut down and punish, but instead, a sword to bring life everlasting. God’s word has been placed in our hearts to share it with others.
We can pray prayers of faith and supplication for the saints of God. As brothers and sisters in Christ, you have been empowered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit to contend for your faith. All of this was made possible because His word, His promise, became flesh and blood in the man Christ Jesus. He delivered on His promise to bring a greater covenant and He did that on the Day of Pentecost through the baptism of the Holy Ghost. So take hold of your Sword of the Spirit today and fight the good fight.

1 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ac 2:1–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2 The New King James Version. (1982). (Jos 8:34–35). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
3 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ex 32:16–21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
4 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ex 32:26–28). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
5 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ga 3:23–25). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
6 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ac 2:37). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
7 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ac 2:38–39). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
8 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ac 2:41–47). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
9 The New King James Version. (1982). (Heb 8:6). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
10 Webmaster. (2007, April 10th). Bible Plants – Barley. Plant Site.
https://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/Barley.php
11 The New King James Version. (1982). (Eph 6:17–18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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Transformation Challenge Day 22

Do you want to be led by God? If so, write an answer to each of the following questions.

  1. What do you feel God wants you to do with your life? Be creative and willing to step outside of your current talents, skills and responsibilities in answering this question.
  2. Do I consistently enquire of God concerning my purpose and how that relates to God’s process of maturing me through experiences and time?
  3. If you could only use one sentence to define your purpose in God, what would that sentence be?
  4. What process does God have me in currently that is helping me more completely develop my purpose in Him?

Transformation Challenge Day 50

Spend the rest of your life writing a great story for Jesus. Make sure that your story has all the components for a good God story.  Here is what you are going to need. To start with you will want to have an impactful introduction about brokenness, and then develop your plot with a lot of God’s restoration. From there you can begin to build an exciting purpose  for your character that will need to be filled with all kinds of God’s amazing promises. Finally, throw in that baptism of His power and I know you will have a bestseller on your hands. Obviously! It’s already been the world’s first and most published book since they first started printing it. Consider these facts:

Facts about the World’s Bestseller: The Holy Bible

Over 6 billion copies sold

Translated into 1185 languages

1300 new language translations are currently being worked on

One Author (God)

66 books

40 writers

Plus you!

So start writing. There are so many great stories to share about your transformation.

My Story…

Transformation Challenge Day 49

Have you ever defined what God has made you for? Spend today contemplating your unique talents, gifts, and words God has spoken into your life. Write down what it is you feel God wants to do in this world. As you pray, ask God to affirm these things as well as clarify your destiny. God wants to do something great through you. Remember, none of us are worthy but the more important characteristic and question of your faith is,  “Are you willing?”. 

Transformation Challenge Day 48

Write out one miracle God has done in your life. Define the details of that miracle and why it was impossible and what it ultimately meant to your faith. Now share that miracle with your accountability partner and whoever else you like. Journal about how it affected them.

Transformation Challenge Day 47

As we complete our final days of Transformation, I would like you to consider today what you will do when you have completed this program in regards to your own personal spiritual development. Write out a schedule of what time each day you will spend in Bible reading, prayer, personal development, and spiritual reflection. All of these components of your walk with God will help you mature in your faith and transform knowledge into understanding. 

I also challenge you to consider how you will include others in this process of spiritual growth and development. Possibilities include a small group study, a friend you get together with on a weekly basis, attending a class at your local church, or participating in a ministry opportunity that allows you to practice your faith while working with others. If you already are participating in such fellowship, then consider who you might invite to join you in this process. There are many possibilities to develop and grow your faith, but whatever you do, with all of your learning and growth get wisdom and understanding that will keep you in your faith.

Transformation Challenge Day 46

Memorize Psalm 34:1-3 by writing it on a notecard and referring to it throughout your day.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.

 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ps 34:1–3). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Today I invite you to write a Psalm of your own. It need not be long, but express from your heart your praise and worship toward God. Be creative. After all, praise should be fun!

Transformation Challenge Day 45

Call or speak to a fellow Christian today who is struggling in a trial. Encourage them in the Lord and pray with them for the strength to endure their hardship. Tell them that you will be adding them to your prayer list and then earnestly pray for them and check on them in the coming weeks.

Now answer the following questions:

  1. How did the person you spoke to receive the encouragement you shared with them? Do you believe it helped them?
  1. Did you fell encouraged in the process?
  1. How do you think you could become a more encouraging Christian with other Christians.
  1. In what way could you use encouragement to share God’s love with people who do not have a relationship with God.

Transformation Challenge Day 44

Write out your personal testimony as if you were sharing it with someone who is not a Christian. What part of your testimony brings the grace of God alive to you. With this testimony consider what God has made you to do in life. Write out your purpose for the Kingdom.

Transformation Challenge Day 43

Find something this week that you can give to the work of the Kingdom of God. It does not matter how large or small, just make sure that whatever it is, that it is truly a sacrifice. It is such treasures and gifts that fill the vast vaults of heaven and allow God to do His greatest work in our world through the lives of others. 

Transformation Challenge Day 42

Make or purchase for yourself or your family a prayer journal. In this journal begin to write down your prayer requests. Date them and be specific, then begin to pray about them. Leave space beside each entry to fill in God’s answer to that prayer. Over the years as you fill up this journal, you will be astonished as you look back over it, of all that God has done in your life because of the prayers you prayed. As I heard an old preacher say once, “Time Spent in Prayer is never wasted”.

Transformation Challenge Day 41

What in your life needs to die in the next 10 days? What has God’s word revealed in your life that needs to die so that Christ may live in you? Power comes when we let the word live in us and through us. Write and define what you want to die so that the power of Christ can become more alive in you. Remember, we are waiting during this time on God’s power, His miracle working strength. God can give you victory over whatever you bring to Him. There is nothing more powerful than the sword of His word which is His Spirit. Wield that sword not in timidity but confidence to get to the place you need to go in God. Discover the power of the Sword of Truth. 

Transformation Challenge Day 40

Prepare for the coming ten days. How will God bring you closer to Him and others through this process of faith? Maybe during this time you would like to take some additional steps of consecration. It could be more prayer time, fasting, or your desire to include others in the process of your faith. Whatever you do, just patiently wait on the Lord and journal your time. As you close out these first 40 days begin to pray that God will make these remaining ten days transformative for your life and those who have joined you in the journey. As we read through the book of Acts, we will discover the power that comes from waiting on God. 

Transformation Challenge Day 39

What causes you more fear than anything else in this world? We all tend to have one or two areas, if not more, that give us concern. Write these down and then begin to pray a prayer of faith concerning these issues. Place them in God’s hands and quit worrying about them. 

Transformation Challenge Day 38

On a note card write out John 15:11-14 and memorize it. 

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”                       

The New King James Version. (1982). (Jn 15:11–14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.


In fulfillment of this verse, now focus your prayers today very specifically upon another individual who needs a miracle from God. Become one with them in your intentional prayers and believe God for their answer. Add them to your prayer journal and continue to pray for them until their answer comes. By this they shall know that you are one of His disciples

Transformation Challenge Day 37

Read Job 33 and consider some of the ways that God can speak to a person. This fourth friend of Job named Elihu, is considered by many Bible scholars to be type of Christ in the Old Testament. He was the only friend who spoke righteous words and counsel to Job during his trial and challenged Job to look outside of his circumstances and trust God. Many times the voice of God’s counsel comes through our experiences and even trials. God is speaking things into our spirit by His Spirit. So ask yourself the question, “Am I listening?”

Now write out ways that you feel could help you tune to in more to what God is wanting to do both in you and through you.

Transformation Challenge Day 36

I have often told people that although my brother was not a preacher, his love and zeal for God’s kingdom in spite of his many trials, has preached more into my life than anyone who has ever stood behind a pulpit. What does your faith testify to others? Does it speak of God’s goodness and mercy? Does it draw others to worship God in spite of their trials? Does it express the power and the purpose of God’s kingdom in what you say and do? To believe something is to live something. You cannot believe in the power of God and not express it in your life.

Here is my challenge for you. Tell five different people today about five different things you are thankful to God for. For example, “I am thankful that God has blessed me with three great kids”, or “I am thankful that I have a job which provides for my family.” No matter how difficult your life is, you have something to share through your worship. It testifies to the power of God being alive in you. It is the resurrection and the life. 

Transformation Challenge Day 35

Go light your world. Today you will share the work of Christ in your life. What has God shown you through your faith? Identify one illuminating principle you have experienced in the last 35 days and share it with someone (that individual should be a person other than your accountability partner). Dialogue with that person concerning that truth. Use it as a way to become a light to your world.

Transformation Challenge Day 34

What do you need Jesus to be in your life today? Identify 3 specific needs you want the Lord to meet over the remaining days of Transformation. Begin to speak in faith the name of Jesus over these situations. Let the Lord become the God of those situations as you speak His all powerful name over them. Do not speak His name as an incantation. Faith is not magic. It is instead believing that God is what He says He is. He Himself declared, “I AM”. In accordance with the Bible, define what I AM means for your life. Write these needs and let God become their answer. 

1.

2.

3.

Transformation Challenge Day 33

Find a quiet place of rest today in God. Get away to a secluded location where you can just think about how God has worked over the course of your life. It may be a drive down to a local park, some time alone in your bedroom at home, or a visit to your church. Just find a place away from distractions and rest in God. Meditate on His goodness. Refresh yourself in His salvation. Marvel at His miracles. Just stand in awe and relationship with your creator and let Him enjoy in those moments the fellowship He desires so much from you. 

Transformation Challenge Day 32

The great leader of Israel, Moses, challenged the people in Psalm 90:12 with these words;

“So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

 The New King James Version. (1982). (Ps 90:12). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Have you ever considered how many days you have left in this world? Thankfully this is not information God provides us with, but it is very important that we should consider what we will accomplish with the days God granted us. One of the friends I spoke of above, was an amazing giver to the Kingdom of God, but when he was 55 he had to have emergency surgery for his heart with six bypasses. He was told by the doctors that they could only give him 10 more years at best. Miraculously he lived for another 24 years and during that time helped build several churches, gave generously to the Kingdom of God, and was a faithful elder and leader in the church until his death. This was a man who learned to number his days and for it God blessed Him and now he has his greater reward of eternal life. 

I challenge you today to number your days. Optimistically imagine that you will live to be 100. Using the formula of 365 days a year and subtracting your current age from the 100, how many days do you have left in the service of God, and what will you do with them? “Lord, Teach me to number my days”.

Transformation Challenge Day 31

Your efforts are not good enough. One of the greatest mistakes we can make in our walk with God is to allow the traditions and protocols that we establish in life to begin to replace our need for God’s Spirit. This is much like what the Pharisees did through their various religious practices. They used religious ceremony to replace God. What is in your life right now that has become a substitute for God’s spiritual help? Write down the various things that you do in service to Him. Ask yourself, “Why do I do these things?”. Is it in response to God working through you or has it simply become a process or custom in your walk with God that holds no eternal purpose. Recommit those works to God and re-claim for them the promise of God’s Spirit.

Transformation Challenge Day 30

List the top five people in your life that influence you. Review this list to determine whether or not each person has a positive or negative influence on you. Do each of these people have healthy expectations of your life that are defined by Biblical principles? If not, how can you minimize their negative impact on your life by practicing Biblical truths? Finally, who can you invite into your life that can add to your walk with God by imputing more positive expectations? List these people in your journal and begin to pursue God centered connections with them that will help you reach the great expectations God has for you. 

Top 5 people in your life that influence you:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Who can you invite into your life that will impute more positive expectations?

1.

2.

3.

Transformation Challenge Day 29

It is important to learn from our failures in the light of Christ’s perfection. Take a recent failure in your walk with God and identify how the Spirit of Christ working in your life helped you to become a better Christian through that mistake. Write down the specific lessons you learned from God’s presence illuminating a better way. How do you feel your faith is stronger as a result of those lessons? Write your thoughts and share it with your accountability partner. 

Transformation Challenge Day 28

Lift your voice in consecrated prayer today. Cry out to God in a private place with God. Pray deeper than you have prayed in a long time. Cry out to God. Shed tears of repentance and burden your soul for the Kingdom. Today’s challenge is simple. Pray a fervent prayer. 

Transformation Challenge Day 27

Find someone to bless today, but here is the caveat. You cannot do this with money directly. What I mean by this is that I want to challenge you to actually physically bless someone today. So instead of just giving some money to someone standing on the corner of the local intersection, instead go and buy them a new pair of socks or something to eat. Rather than giving someone a gift card to their favorite local coffee shop, go and buy them a cup of coffee and spend some time talking with them and listening. Don’t just give, but rather give of yourself, your time, your love.  Find a need in your world. Someone hurting, Someone lonely, someone down on their luck.  It need not be something big but do something for someone to help them out. Something that is more than just a dollar bill spent but instead a life spent in service to God. The only way to become a person of Holy generosity is to practice pouring out the gifts God has entrusted you with. These acts are not done to appease our conscience but rather are intended please are God and fulfill our purpose in the Kingdom. So go and live a live of giving.  

Transformation Challenge Day 26

Write your top five fears. Those things that you constantly worry about. Now translate those fears into faith. Worry is simply the process of thinking about something negative over and over. To translate fear into faith all you need to do is change your perspective. The opposite of fear is worship. Worship is an expression of praise repeated over and over again. So take each worry and begin to praise God for taking care of that problem in your life. This simple expression of complete trust has moved you from a place of fearfulness and anxiety to a place of confidence in your God and enthusiasm about the outcomes He will bless you with. Keep doing this and you can learn to live a worry free life by transforming your worry into worship.

Top five fears:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Transformation Challenge Day 25

Now that you know who the man is, will you do what He commanded you to do. Jesus told His disciples that day, “Go and do likewise”. Find someone today to share kindness with. Show compassion on someone who has need in their life. This could be someone going through a difficult time (loss of job, sickness with them or a family member, some kind of emotional trauma… the list goes on). Need is everywhere. I am sure if you give it a some thought someone will come to your mind. As to what you should do for them is up to you. Pray about it  and ask God to lead you on this act of compassion. But I challenge you not just to show someone compassion but also seek to connect at a more relational level with this person. Remember, purpose is all about God and people. The Lord is our Good Samaritan who bound up our wounds and took care of us in our greatest of needs. As a recipient of such blessing, we should search out ways in which we can in like fashion love others and build healthy, God centered relationships. Be that person who showed mercy.

After this challenge, write about what you did. Describe its effect on you and the person you helped. Describe ways in which you feel you could continue in this practice of faith.

Transformation Challenge Day 24

Contemplate the importance of conforming to God’s plan for your life by denying self and becoming more like Him. To help you in this process, review your memory card for Matthew 16:24-26 (this is a parallel rendering of Luke 9:23-26). Your Transformation Challenge for Day 6 was to memorize this verse. Now answer the following questions:

What is God doing in my life right now in either the short term or long term that seems to be taking longer than I anticipated?

What steps can I take to temper my faith in an effort to allow God to work in His timing and not mine?

Transformation Challenge Day 23

To validate the voice of God in our life, it is important that we develop elders and peer mentors that can help us to understand what God is speaking to us. Consider that in Exodus, Moses after His burning bush experience with God, returned to his Father-in-law Jethro to seek His permission to go to Egypt. Later on, while leading the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses again sought the advice of his Father-in-law. We need wise counsel in our lives to validate what is from God and what may not be from God. Today you will write a short note that you will send to someone you feel is more seasoned in their journey of faith than you. This might typically be someone who is older or has served God for a longer season of time than yourself. Of course this might not always be the case, but it should be someone whom you have admired the relationship they have but with God and others.  Identify for this person why you admire them and anything they have already spoken into your life that has been helpful. Finish the letter by asking them if they would be willing to be a bigger part of your life and help you find the voice of God. Such correspondence will serve to develop safeguards in your life through leadership as well as liberate this person to feel they have the freedom to help you along the way. Now it’s time to listen up to God and those He has placed in your life to protect you!

Transformation Challenge Day 22

Do you want to be led by God? If so, write an answer to each of the following questions.

  1. What do you feel God wants you to do with your life? Be creative and willing to step outside of your current talents, skills and responsibilities in answering this question.
  2. Do I consistently enquire of God concerning my purpose and how that relates to God’s process of maturing me through experiences and time?
  3. If you could only use one sentence to define your purpose in God, what would that sentence be?
  4. What process does God have me in currently that is helping me more completely develop my purpose in Him?

Transformation Challenge Day 21

Consider today what in your life is broken. Whether it’s a relationship, a sickness in your body, a financial problem, an emotional need, a spiritual struggle, or any other misfortune that afflicts you. We all have parts of our life that only God can repair. I ask you, “What do you need God to fix over the next 50 days?”. Write these needs in your prayer journal. Now spend your time in prayer talking with God about these broken parts of your life. As you close your conversation with God, give Him the broken pieces. Now, simply believe that He will take these broken parts of your life and change them into something new. Something transformed by the power of God. Something that is no longer broken.

Transformation Challenge Day 20

Thriving and healthy relationships cannot be built on fear, only love. Restoration in Christ is what builds our relationship with Him to a level of confidence not in what we can do, but in what He has done for us because of His love. Any relationship built with God, in the desire to be good enough to please Him, will eventually succumb to condemnation. We are not perfect, but that is not why God loves us. He loves us because He desires a relationship with us. In order for the work of restoration to work to its greatest effectiveness in the Christian life, we must embrace the strength of God’s love through the death, burial, and resurrection. This is a safe love, not built on what we feel we are worth, but instead on what He feels we are worth. When we find security in His love, it is then and only then, that we can effectively move on to His purpose for our lives. In this kind of relationship the things we do are motivated by His love and not our performance. We are essentially empowering God’s love in our lives to bring life. 

Today ask the question of yourself, “Do I feel safe in God’s love, or do I instead try to earn His love? Answer this question very honestly. Journal your thoughts. Discuss them with your accountability partner. Now position yourself to be loved by God. Find your place of restoration in Him through your prayer time. Such identity will profoundly transform you.

Transformation Challenge Day 19

Today I would like to challenge you to learn a new song. Don’t worry. This is not a talent show. You won’t need to sing this song in public (of course you can if you want to), but just learn the words and the tune to a song about your relationship with God that means something to you. The psalmist put it this way,           Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! “Sing to the Lord, all the earth. 

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” 

So, start singing that new song, even if it is a little bit off key. 

Write the Lyrics to your new song in the space below:

Transformation Challenge Day 18

Measure your life by Jesus Christ. Identify 2 -3 characteristics of God’s nature that you would like to know more about as you draw closer to Him over the remainder of this program.  It could be His mercy, His Love, His Power, His Provision, His Gentleness, His Humility, His Majesty, His Integrity.  The nature of and character of God is profound and limitless. Those few I just mentioned are only a few facets of the many possibilities you could choose. Now I want you to pray to God that He will help you to understand Him better in those areas. Share these with your accountability partner and explain to them why those aspects of God’s nature interest you most at this point in your relationship with God. May the Lord richly bless you in your life long pursuit of knowing Him.

Characteristic 1: ______________________

Characteristic 2: ______________________

Characteristic 3: ______________________

Transformation Challenge Day 17

Believe in your heart for great things in your life today. God is seeking to build you up everyday in His powerful work of restoration. This reminds me of an antique piece that my wife and I recently bought for our daughter for her bedroom. This broken down piece of furniture had magnificently been restored to even better condition than its original state by this master craftsman. He saw the potential of the piece and invested in its future by committing to drawing out the beauty he saw within it. This is very similar to how God works in our lives. He finds us in a broken state, but he sees the beauty within us. He makes the investment because He loves you and knows what you will become in Him.

So here is what I want you to do today. Write down 5 characteristics about yourself that you believe God sees within you as beautiful. Don’t be shy. In fact write down more if you think of them. You’re already beautiful and God sees this potential even more than you can. Be confident. Put your heart into it. What has God invested into your life that makes you unique and radiant to the world around you. God sees a masterpiece in the making. Remember, you are beautiful, amazing in Him, magnificent through His might. So if the Father believes in you, you might as well start believing in yourself and God’s plan for your life.

5 characteristics about yourself that you believe God sees within you as beautiful:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Transformation Challenge Day 16

On Day 5 (Failing to Win) you were challenged to identify a point of failure in your life, reflect upon the lessons you learned from it, and then list at least three dreams you wanted to see come about in your life even at the risk of failure. Revisit your journal page for this day and with your dreams in mind, begin to list in your journal the potential pitfalls that could hinder those dreams from coming true.

Three Dreams for my life:

1.

2.

3.

Now answer the following questions:

  1. How is your faith challenged by those potential failures?
  2. What have you learned so far in the transformation process and in your life that can help you avoid some of those pitfalls?
  3. In what areas of your life is God still challenging you?

Dr. Henry Cloud in his book on Integrity defines a person’s ability to lose and then learn from those losses as the most important characteristic a person can develop in life in order to succeed. So are you a “good loser”, meaning, “When you fail in life do you use those opportunities to grow in your relationship with God and others?”. 

Transformation Challenge Day 15

“Do I get it?” This is a great question and one that we should all ask of ourselves and more importantly of our Lord. Hearing it and seeing it is one thing. Getting it is another. As we break the bond of sin in our lives and move deeper into His restorative work, we must understand what it is that He is trying to accomplish in us. Examine your life today in the context of the dreams that you listed on Day 5 “Failing to Win”. With these dreams in mind, what areas of understanding are you struggling with concerning the fulfillment of them? Ask God to help you ask the hard questions about your life concerning your dreams and the faith necessary to reach His plan for your life. 

Transformation Challenge Day 14

Inconvenience yourself today with somebody. Pick up the phone, and call someone that you have not spoken to in a long time. Ask them to meet for coffee, invite them to dinner (either that day or for a future date), plan a social event with them, or invite them to church. Just get out of your agenda and show the love of Christ to someone. If God could be inconvenienced and astounded by a Gentile woman’s faith, how much more should we be willing to let others into our world. Remember the two greatest commandments:

Love God

Love others

Who knows what spark of faith you could ignite when you trouble the master for someone else. 

Transformation Challenge Day 13

Write down all the areas of your life that you want God to protect. In your prayer time call the name of Jesus specifically over each one of these areas. Where there has been past destruction, begin to speak life and hope. Where there are the bruises and wounds of sin, speak healing and hope. The chains are broken through His name. Let the presence of God invade your life so intensely that hells only request will be that you leave it alone. Finally, read below Isaiah 14 and celebrate the power of the name of Jesus over Hell and its worldly influences.

The Fall of Lucifer

            “How you are fallen from heaven, 

            O Lucifer, son of the morning! 

            How you are cut down to the ground, 

            You who weakened the nations! 

For you have said in your heart: 

            ‘I will ascend into heaven, 

            I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; 

            I will also sit on the mount of the congregation 

            On the farthest sides of the north; 

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, 

            I will be like the Most High.’ 

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, 

            To the lowest depths of the Pit. 

Transformation Challenge Day 12

Learn the parable of the Mustard Seed that you read about today: Write it on a note card and memorize this short parable as a testimony of what a little faith committed to God can accomplish. The mustard seed is one of the smallest of seeds sown in the field, but it becomes one of the fastest growing and largest plants growing over 12 feet in just a few weeks. This parable testifies to the power of faith in Jesus Christ when we allow Him to do the work.  Our small expression of trust in Him may seem insignificant, but once it is planted it will yield amazing results. In addition it will give a place for other people to rest their faith as they also realize the power of Christ. Remember that in the story of the calming of the storm today, that not only did the disciples in the boat with Jesus experience a miracle when the storm was calmed, but so did the many small boats that followed them. Through this parable, learn the power of letting others see your faith at work. 

30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” 

Mark 4:30-32 NKJV

 

Transformation Challenge Day 11

Restoration is the power to move forward in God as the work of brokenness is fused with God’s love. This symbiotic connection between God and us is what allows forgiveness to be so much more powerful than simply the cleansing of sin from our lives. It is what takes us to that next level of relationship with God where we discover the worth God has imputed to our lives through His compassion. It is in a sense God heralding His miraculous work in your life for all to see. 

Today, I challenge you to connect with someone (preferably your accountability partner) and share a part of your life (either past or present) in which God’s work of forgiveness was offered. Maybe it was a wrong you committed towards someone that caused separation or hurt. Maybe it was a time in which you broke a rule or an agreement and it led to division or the hurting of others or yourself.  We all fail at some point in our lives and we all need to at times ask for the forgiveness of God or others. After you come up with an example, I want  you to then discuss how that cleansing or forgiveness began a restoration in your life towards that someone you had been disconnected from. These could be friends, family, co-workers, or someone you go to church with).  Now ask whomever you share it with, if they have a similar situation in their life they would like to share. Use this discussion to reflect on the power of God’s restorative work and then write those thoughts in your journal.

Transformation Challenge Day 10

Spend your day in contemplation of the Cross. Immerse yourself in the powerful work that Christ experienced in those agonizing hours of crucifixion. Now, stand in wonder that He did it for you and realize that no matter how alone you might feel in this world, how broken, how alienated, how messed up or how disappointed in yourself, your God understands exactly what you go through. Also realize that he has made you a greater promise than what King David was able to experience in his life before the work of the Cross. Jesus tells His disciples as we close out the book of Matthew, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”. God will never forsake you if you but put your trust in Him.

Transformation Challenge Day 9

Memorize Jeremiah 29:11 over the next two days and discover how much God is reaching for you in your mistakes.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 

As you meditate on this verse, contemplate and journal on this thought. Am I willing to forgive myself of past mistakes as much as God is willing to forgive me?

Often times struggles in our life are a result of guilt over past mistakes, but when we can more fully understand how amazing God’s love and providence are, we can learn to more effectively forgive ourselves in the light of His mercy and the realization that He is working a divine plan.

Transformation Challenge Day 8

God has a master plan for your life. He will build it up brick by spiritual brick as you yield your life to Him. Below, there are 5 illustrations of building stones representing the 5 themes of faith that we will focus on over the course of this program. In each stone identify how God could work in your life through that particular theme of faith. For example, in the stone of restoration maybe there is a person in your life that you have lost connection with and need to be restored to them in a miraculous way. Or maybe in the the stone of God’s power, someone might identify a need they have in their life for healing. In the stone of brokenness it may be a persons struggle in a certain area of life. Each of these themes are a constant process of regeneration that the Lord works in us. God knows exactly how to put your life together through these and other processes. In your prayers ask Him to help you yield to His plan to raise up these stones to form the great temple He has designed you to be.

Transformation Challenge Day 7

Shun religion and piety and embrace the powerful consecration God wants to draw you towards. Ask the hard questions of yourself. Questions that lead you closer to God’s clear purpose. Questions like, “What in my life has become just a religious practice in my walk with God?”, or “What in my life is preventing others from coming into a transformational relationship with God?”. Write about this and then determine that you will cleanse yourself by the grace of God of that which is religious or self-righteous. Now replace it with the vibrant power and hope of those things in God that are relational. 

Continue to use your memorization of Matthew 16:24-26 from yesterday’s Transformation Challenge as a backdrop to this process. 

Transformation Challenge Day 6

Write on a note card Matthew 16:24-26 and memorize it over the next two days. Ask yourself the question, “Have I really denied myself in order to follow Him?”. In the learning of this verse allow God to begin a work in your life that will make you more and more like Him. What things in life can I deny or reject in order to draw closer to Him. Journal you thoughts on this process.

Transformation Challenge Day 5

Let’s face it. Failures are a part of life. In your Transformation challenge today I would like for you to identify a point of failure in your life, and then define in a few sentences how it made you into a better person. Reflect on this and then identify three dreams that you would like to see come to pass in your life. Write these down as well. What steps of faith, even at the risk of failure, will you need to take in order to reach these dreams? Now write down these steps. As you finish this task, take some time to pray and ask God to help you to see these dreams come to pass in your life. Now the hard part. Have faith in God and do not doubt no matter how many times you fail. It’s time to get out of your rickety boat tossed by the storms of life, and step into some amazing moments with Jesus!

Transformation Challenge Day 4

In your time of prayer today find a sincere place of repentance. Ask God to search the hidden parts of your heart and life and reveal to you those things that you have not completely surrendered to Him. All of us have things that we need to work on and this is where the power of repentance becomes so real and meaningful. Don’t just say it in words but speak it from the depths of your soul. “Lord, I repent. I turn from what I have been to become what you want me to be.” In this transformational act of repentance we can experience the embracing grace of God and feel empowered by His mercy. Now rise up in the strength of God and live a life of repentance. If you fall, get back up, but repent. God loves you and will help you each day to live victoriously. But it all starts with the miraculous power that comes through repentance.

Transformation Challenge Day 3

As we continue in our memorization of the Lord’s prayer we will now focus on the latter part of this prayer. Read through the final 3 sections of this important prayer and discover how this model prayer can help you become more effective in your own personal prayer time.

  1. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” – At this point in our prayer we break ourselves before God in the recognition of our sins and our need for His atoning work. Such recognition leads us to an equally important truth, that if God forgives us, we must be willing to forgive others. The need for forgiveness and the offering of forgiveness are true signs in a disciples life of complete submission and love.
  2. “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” – It is now that we identify the wickedness that surrounds us in our broken world and pray for God’s divine deliverance from its effects and protection from Satan and his many tactics that seek to destroy our relationship with God.
  3. “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” – Finally we conclude our daily prayer by returning to the powerful revelation of who our God is and the power that He possesses over all things. This truth is what establishes our trust in Him through the day. We do not serve an impotent God, but instead a God who exercises absolute dominion and will answer the prayers of His saints.

Continue working on your memory verse cards for the Lord’s Prayer (Memory Verse Cards). Today you will memorize this second portion of the prayer and for the remainder of the program use it as a model for your daily prayer life. Remember, the purpose for memorizing this prayer is so that for the remainder of this program you can pray through it at least once a day. Put it in a prominent place where you will see it throughout the day. Make it a part of your life. Pray through it several times a day and make it into a conversation with God. You do not need to pray it word for word, but simply use it as a guide to speak to these important facets of your relationship with God. Remember, “Lord, Teach us to Pray.”

Transformation Challenge Day 2

In Matthew 6:9-13 the Lord instructs His disciples in the process of prayer. This model prayer is a great way to begin the process of emptying yourself of you each day and allowing more of Him to live in you. Each section of this prayer has a specific purpose. At this time, read through the first 3 sections of this important prayer to discover how this model prayer can help you become more effective in your own personal prayer time.

  1. “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name.” – We start each prayer by giving our worship to God and realizing His sovereignty over all things. This recognition of His supremacy prepares us to receive His direction for each day.
  2. “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – Next we begin to pray that the will of God, His perfect plan be brought to pass in our world. As a child of God it is your purpose to bring God’s heavenly plan to earth by becoming the pattern He has designed for your life. It is here that we begin to pray for the work of His kingdom in our lives.
  3. “Give us this day our daily bread.” – Now we approach God with our needs and the needs of others. It is not our job to regret our yesterdays or fear our tomorrows, but instead God has asked us to trust Him for our today. This is not to say that we do not pray for future needs, but instead that we learn to trust God for the answers He gives right now. Live in the present in your walk with God and you will learn to live at a deeper level of trust.

Now that you have reviewed the first portion of the Lord’s prayer, I would like to go to Matthew 6:9-13 in your preferred version of the Bible and write out on either index cards or a piece of paper the Lord’s prayer. Today you will memorize this first portion of the prayer and for the remainder of the program use it as a model for your daily prayer life. We will work on memorizing the second part of the prayer tomorrow. The purpose for memorizing this prayer and understanding each of its important parts, is so that for the remainder of this program you can pray through it at least once a day. You may want to place your Lord’s Prayer memory card in your car, your Bible, or beside your bed as a reminder to make this daily expression of brokenness and trust in the Almighty.  Let us have the same heart as the Lord’s disciples  and declare, Lord, teach me to pray.